What if flags were more than just symbolic markers? What if rather than being static symbols they represented nations as they are currently, visual signs of progress. The current US 50-star flag was created in 1960 and is the longest used version. Before that the flag changed every few years as new states were added, reflecting the growing nation. This talk explores the idea of a flag as dynamic and data-driven, taking the values we care about as a society—life expectancy or gender equality—and transforming elements on the flag to represent their current state. Over time, citizens would be able to perceive progress against their values—are we living better lives or not? In this talk, I’ll share some of the fascinating stories in the data and explore broader ideas for data-driven symbols.